HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau plans to release a funding notice to solicit proposals to develop a Newborn Screening Clearinghouse. Although resources and information related to newborn screening and genetics exists, much of the information is not easily accessible and gaps in knowledge are present. The Clearinghouse is legislatively mandated as part of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act.
The goal is to establish and maintain a central clearinghouse for newborn screening information regarding current education activities, family support services, and other available clinical services. The Clearinghouse will include information and/or links to current resources, research programs along with data on newborn screening. This information will help to increase awareness, knowledge, and understanding by families and parents of newborn babies, health professionals, industry representatives, and the public
Having the data will also enable parents to have a better understanding of newborn genetic conditions and screening services. Information will be available on educational and decision-making materials on newborn screening for heritable disorders, evidenced-based best practices, and continuing educational modules.
Consultations with health education professionals, medical homes, and with patient and family-centered care experts, will help to design and implement a fully integrated system to serve the needs of a diverse population. The Clearinghouse will be an interactive web-based forum for information sharing.
Eligible applicants may include state, county, city governments, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, individuals, Native American organizations, for-profits, small business, plus others.
The official funding announcement is expected to be posted February 3, 2014 on www.grants.gov with the estimated application due date to be March 3, 2014.The estimated funding for the Clearinghouse is $750,000 with one Cooperative Agreement award expected
For more information on FOA (HRSA-14-085), email Debi Sarkar at DSarkar@hrsa.gov at HRSA’s Maternal and Child health Bureau. For future technical assistance when responding to the FOA, go to www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/index.html.